By: Andrew Handel
On Wednesday, President Trump signed an Executive Order, Expanding Educational Freedom and Opportunity for Families, which sets forth a bold vision aimed at empowering parents with choice in their child’s education. This groundbreaking Executive Order has made this year’s National School Choice Week one for the ages.
The Order contains many noteworthy provisions:
It explicitly states that administration’s policy of “support[ing] parents in choosing and directing the upbringing and education of their children.”
Directs the Secretary of Education to issue guidance that informs the States how they can use Federal formula funds to support education freedom.
Prioritizes discretionary grant funding for education freedom programs.
Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue guidance on how the states can utilize block grants from the department to expand education freedom.
Directs the Secretary of Defense to use all available resources to ensure military families have access to education freedom.
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to identify all mechanisms available to ensure that children eligible to attend a Bureau of Indian Education school have access to education freedom.
The President’s directive, particularly its provisions prioritizing discretionary funding for education freedom, could expand access to nonpublic schools for tens of thousands of students nationwide. This is especially true for programs that might be limited by appropriations or donor contributions, where additional federal funding could help clear waitlists and allow more families to participate.
The President also capitalized on National School Choice Week to emphasize his support for Tennessee lawmakers as they began a special session aimed at passing universal education freedom. Tennessee is now the latest successful target state for our Education Freedom Alliance. On Thursday, the legislature passed the bill and sent it to Governor Lee’s desk. Governor Lee’s support for education freedom, in combination with the President’s push for lawmakers to pass the bill, provided the essential leadership necessary to get it done.
In addition to Tennessee, the Wyoming House of Representatives passed a bill called the Wyoming Freedom Scholarship Act, which would create a universal program for all students in the state. Lawmakers in Texas, South Carolina, and New Hampshire have also introduced major legislation to create universal programs in their respective states as well.
Last week, ALEC released the brand new 2025 Index of State Education Freedom, which ranked Florida at the #1 spot for the second year in a row. Following Florida in the report is Arizona, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Iowa, and West Virginia. It’s not a coincidence that all of these states have universal education freedom programs in place, thus ensuring no student is put in a position where they cannot attend the best possible learning environment for their needs. Each of the states mentioned above can greatly improve their ranking in next year’s Index if legislative efforts are successful, and Tennessee lawmakers have already guaranteed that they will be competitive for a top-10 or top-5 spot after passing the Education Freedom Act.
As we celebrate National School Choice Week, it’s clear that momentum for education freedom has never been stronger. Education freedom has become a defining issue for states and policymakers nationwide. Polling tells us that 76% of Americans support education scholarship accounts (ESAs), 69% support tax-credit scholarship programs, 67% support vouchers, and 63% support charter schools.
We are only one month into 2025, but it is already proving to be a massive success for students and families around the country. Thanks to support from President Trump and his administration, we are excited to see momentum continue and grow even stronger in the years to come!